Sustainable, Mixed Crop Agriculture-Livestock Livelihoods (SMALL)

22-0806-04

Twenty projects held by local organizations will be funded. Some 650 families and 1,300 pass-n families will be given animals to help increase nutrition and income. Recipient families in the project subgroups will receive training in basic animal management, as well as human nutrition, agro ecology and other environmentally sound practices. Community groups will receive training in moral leadership, values-based planning and management, gender sensitivity and other requested organizational topics. Through these activities, Heifer Indonesia will work to strengthen and develop relationships with project subgroups and local NGOs.

Until 2005, there have been 11 sub-projects of approved under this umbrella project.

PROJECT PROFILE

The small program focuses on farm-level activities. HPI/Indonesia has established projects under the small program that are held by local NGOs.

LOCAL CONDITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSISTANCE

Generally, Sumatra has an equatorial, hot, wet climate, with not very distinct seasons. Ecologically, Sumatra can be divided into seven natural zones: the western coastal strip, mountain zone, piedmont, pen plains, eastern lowlands, and the western and eastern island chains. A rich diversity of plant species, including many with ethno botanical uses, is found on the island. Temperature, which is directly related to altitude, largely determines the major cropping systems. Vegetables predominate in the higher altitudes (North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi, and Bengkulu), while grains such as rice, maize, soybean, peanut, and mungbean predominate in the lowlands of all provinces. Tree crops such as coffee and cinnamon are grown on steeper areas in the highlands of Lampung, Bengkulu, Jambi, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh. Rubber (mostly smallholder) and oil palm (mostly plantations) are common tree crops in the lowlands of Riau, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Jambi, and South Sumatra. Generally, for livestock feed, farmers still rely on unknown quality local fodder and crop by-products. Sometimes, in the dry season, farmers are forced to search for other feed sources.

While the majority of farms are small and traditional in nature (based on inherited knowledge and land), agro-export plantations are prioritized by the government and are increasingly common. Thus, large harvests of food crops are only from certain areas, and the harvests in some areas are not enough to last through the year. Human population is increasing and since most arable land is already utilized, people are using less suitable areas, land holding is decreasing, and landlessness is increasing. In some areas, agriculture is no longer the major income source; off-farm activities include labor in plantations, factories, and home industries (e.g., tailor, carpenter, and vendor). A major impact of reformasi (political reform), however, is that farmers are demanding, and beginning to get, the return of land that they felt was unfairly taken by government.

Livestock-raising also tends to be small-scale and traditional based. Generally, livestock are raised in integrated crop-livestock systems where crops provide the primary income, although there are exceptions in some provinces. Markets are restricted by long distances to major cities and a lack of transportation. Beef cattle, sheep and goat populations are high in the northern and southern parts of Sumatra; dairy cattle and especially pigs are very high in North Sumatra; and water buffalo in Aceh and chicken in Lampung and North Sumatra. Cattle and buffalo still provide the majority of draft power for cropping and represent part of an integrated system. The majority raise their cattle, water buffalo, goats, sheep, and ducks in mixed stall plus grazing systems. Some areas have free-range buffalo. Native chickens are often raised in traditional systems for income generation. Layer and broiler chicken are raised commercially by companies and in cooperation with some smallholders in Nucleus Estate Smallholder Schemes (NES). The company provides the farm supplies, and marketing, while the farmers raise the livestock.

While all nine Sumatran provinces have considerable livestock populations with a high potential for smallholder mixed crop-livestock farms, farmers face many problems. For example, small land holding size, poor soil, and weak land tenure relationships hinder many animal raisers from obtaining sufficient amounts and higher quality feeds.

Government crop and livestock intensification programs are hindered by the lack of inputs, such as fertilizers, planting materials, and feed. Subsidized fertilizer for small-holder farmers was diverted to large plantations or for export due to on-going corruption in the distribution system.

TRAINING

Each participants family will receive training in basic animal management. Additional training will depend on each subproject but will include training in human nutrition and home gardens, marketing, small enterprise management, and various agroecological practices such as water monitoring, ethnoveterinary medicine, integrated pest management, composting, and agroforestry, that contribute to sustainable smallholder agricultural-livestock livelihoods.

Community organizations will receive trainings in moral leadership, financial and organizational record-keeping and reporting, values-based planning and management, gender sensitivity, and other requested organizational topics. Some CBOs will also have some of their members trained in water monitoring.

Subproject holder organizations (local NGOs) will receive training in the use of values-based planning and management with CBO's, moral leadership, and financial bookkeeping and reporting, and other requested organizational topics.  Some NGO staff and farmers from partner CBO's will receive training in learner-centered education to conduct to farmer-level trainings on technical and organizational matters.

PASSING ON THE GIFT

Passing on the gift (POG) will be decided by each subproject holder and their respective CBOs.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Semi-annual monitoring:  all subproject holders will be required to submit semi-annual project progress an financial reports. HPI/Indonesia staff will visit the project sites for monitoring at least twice annually, after receiving the project reports.

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